Knockdown skeleton frame



3 Sheets-Sheet l JOSEPH ATTORNEY Aug. 27, 1957 Filed Nov. 22, 1954 r 00 w 00 o 00 O. 00 o o W o 0 w o W m A 2 Aug. 27, 1957 J. R BARRY 2,303,903

KNOCKDOWN SKELETON FRAME 7 Filed Nov. 22, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3 26 H JOSEPH 1?. Emmy WM a ATTORNEY .J. R. BARRY KNOCKDOWN SKELETON FRAME 3 Sheets-5heet 5 Filed Nov. 22, 1954 INVENTOR JOSEPH R. BARRY BY a ATTORNEY Unlt statg P t KNOCKDOWN SKELETON FRAME Joseph R. Barry, Takoma Park, Md.

Application November 22, 1954, Serial No. 470,261

2 Claims. (or. 41-10 The present invention relates to a knockdown skeleton frame and has for an object the provision of a device of this kind capable of being assembled for receiving and retaining thereon molding clay to simulate a preselected subject, such as a person, an animal or an object of any kind.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of this character comprising a plurality of members or pieces having cooperating interlocking means for permitting easy assembling of the members in properly related position and rigidly retaining the members in assembled condition against accidental disassembly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a skeleton frame which in addition to the interlocking means, has a plurality of openings formed in the several members through which the molding clay extends so as to cooperate with the interlocking means to provide a permanent article simulating the preselected subject.

The present invention aims to provide a knockdown skeleton frame which when properly assembled will provide the three dimensional contour of height, width and length of the preselected subject.

The present invention also aims to provide a device of this charactenthe use of which will have an educational, entertaining and ornamental value.

With theforegoing and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more fully described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device in assembled condition constructed in accordance with the present in vention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l,

Figure 3 is asectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure l, p

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line i4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the body and head member,

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of one. of the leg members, V

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of the transverse body member,

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the forward section of the horizontal body member, and

Figure 9 is a top plan View of the rear section of the horizontal body member.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates generally a vertical longitudinally extending body and head member or piece which for purpose of illustration only is shown as representing the body, head and trunk of an elephant. The member 10 may be made of any suitable .material, such as woven wire, expanded metal or a perforate sheet. The member 10 is fiat and comprises a body portion 11, a head portion 12 and a ice trunk portion 13, each of which is provided with through openings or apertures 14.

A vertically extending passageway 15 is formed in the lower part of the body portion 11 by cutting through or slitting certain of the walls 16 which define the openings 14. Spaced apart areas of the passageway 15 open into adjacent apertures 14 to provide enlarged portions 17 of the passageway which alternate with restricted portions 18 of the passageway formed by the opposed slit walls 16 of adjacent apertures 14. The passageway 15 opens through the lower edge of the body portion 11 and extends upwardly through substantially half the height of the body portion.

A rear horizontally extending passageway 19 is formed in the rear end part of the body portion 11 in the same manner as the passageway 15 is formed to provide enlarged portions 20 and a restricted portion 21. The passageway 19 opens through the rear edge of the body portion 11 and extends forwardly to terminate short of the axis of the passageway 15 with the axis of the passageway 19 above the inner closed end of the passageway 15.

A forward horizontally extending passageway 22 is formed in the forward end part of the head portion 12 of the member 1.0 in the same manner as the passageway 15 is formed so as to provide enlarged portions 23 and alternate restricted portions 24. The passageway 22 opens through the forward edge of the head portion 12 and extends rearwardly to terminate a substantial distance forwardly of the axis of the passageway 15. The passageway 22 is substantially coaxial with the passageway 19.

' A flat transverse vertical body member or piece 25, made of the same material as the member 10, is of oval formation to correspond substantially to the contour of the medial portion of the body of an elephant. The member 25 has formed therein a plurality of through apertures or openings 26. An upper vertical passageway 27 is formed in the upper medial portion of the member 25 by cutting through or slitting certain of the walls 23 which define the openings 26. Spaced apart areas of the passageway 27 open into adjacent apertures 26 to provide enlarged portions 29 in the passageway which alternate with restricted portions 30 of the passageway formed by the opposed slit walls 28. The passageway 27 opens through the upper edge of the member 25.

A pair of lateral lower vertical passageways 31 are formed in the lower side parts of the member 25 in the same manner as the passageway 27 is formed so as to provide alternate enlarged portions 32 and restricted portions 33. The passageways 31 open through the lower edge of the member 25. t i

A pair of flat leg members or pieces are generally indicated at 34, each of which is made from the same material as the member 10. Each member 34 has a plurality of through apertures or openings 35 and comprises a fore-leg portion 36, a hind-leg portion 37 and an intermediate portion 38 connecting the two leg portions. A substantially vertical passageway 59 is formed inthe upper forward part of the connecting portion 38 by cutting through or slitting one of the walls 40 defining the apertures 35 thereby providing an enlarged portion 41 and a restricted portion 42. The passageway 39 opens through the upper edge of the portion 355. A rear horizontal passageway 4-3 is formed in the upper rear part of the hind-leg portion in the same manner as the passageway 39 is formed to provide an enlarged portion 44 and a restricted portion 45 in the passageway 43.. The passageway 43 opens through the rear edge of the hind-leg portion 37.

A horizontal body member or piece is generally indicated at 46 and comprises a forward section 47 and a rear. section 48 which are more properly shownin Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings. The forward section 47 is made of any flat suitablematerial, such as, metal or the like, and is .of generallyoblong shape, butthe. opposite side edges taper slightly in a forward direction to terminate in a rounded nose-like part 49. The contour of the Opposite side edgesof thesection 47,.conforn'1 generally to the fore part of the body of theelephant-and to the sidesand front of the head. of an elephant, The. section 47 is provided with a .pluralitylof sthrough apertures or openings 50. A longitudinally extending passageway 51 is formed along the longitudinal medial-line of the section 47. This passageway 51 opens through the rear edge 52 of the section 47 and terminates a substantial distance short of the nose 49. The .rear edge 52 is sub stantially flat and lies in one vertical plane.

A pair of lateral passageways 53 are formed inltherear end portion ofthesection 47 adjacent the opposite side edges thereof. Each passageway opens through the rear edge 52 and terminates rearwardly of .the transverse medial line of the section 47. The passageways 53 are disposed on each side of and are substantially parallel to the passageway 51.

The. rear section 48 may be made of the same kind of material from which the forward section 47 is made and is in the form of a flat plate having a plurality of through apertures or openings 54. The rear section 48 may be in the form of a half oval having its opposite side edges and its rear edge of curved shape to conform generally to the shape of the rear side portions and the rear portion of an elephant. The forward edge 55 of the section 48 is flat and lies in one vertical plane. The section 48 has a passageway 56 substantially along the longitudinal medial line thereof.

A pair of lateral passageways 58 are formed in the section 48 adjacent the opposite side edges thereof. Each passageway opens through the forward edge 55 and terminates forwardly of the rear edge 57. The passageways 58 are disposed on each side and are substantially parallel to the passageway 56.

The members 10,25, 34 and 46 are adapted to be sold as a unit with a supply of molding clay and instructions of the manner in which the members are to be assembled to form the skeleton frame of an elephant or other selected subject. Each of the members may be given a number to which number the instructions will refer in directing the user in the proper sequence of assembling the members. The user will assemble the member 25 with the member by bringing the passageway of the member 10 into registry with the passageway 27 of the member 25. One of the leg members 34 will then be connected to the member by bringing the passageway 39 thereof into registry with one of the passageways 31 in the member 25. The other leg member 34 may be assembled with the member 25 in the same manner.

The forward section 47 of the member 46 will now be brought into proper position by bringing the passageway 51 thereof into registry with the passageway 22 of the member 10 and the lateral passageway 53 into alignment with the fore-leg portions of the members 34. The forward section 47 will then be slid rearwardly until the rear edge 52 thereof engages the forward face of the member 25.

The rear section 48 of the member 46 will then be positioned so that its central passageway 56 registers with the rear passageway 19 of the member 10 and lateral passageways 58 register with the passageways 43 of the hind-leg portions 37 of the members 34. The rear section 48 will then be slid forwardly until the forward edge 55 thereof abuts the rear face of the member 25. All of the members will now be interlocked, as clearly shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. The several members will be restrained against accidental separation from one another because the walls of the members will be received by the enlarged portions of the respective passageways and should the members accidentally tend a a to become disassembled, the walls which are received by theenlarged portions of the passageways will engage the slit walls of the restricted portions of the passageways to prevent the disassembly of the members.

In order to hold the assembled members in rigid relationship to one another during the application of the molding clay to the skeleton form, the user will apply small portions of the clay to the' members at their points of connection. The user will then apply the clay to the skeleton framework until the entire frame is covered with clay, as indicated by the phantom lines 59 which indicate the outer contour of the body of the elephant, as is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. In order to impart permanency to the article, it may be placed in a conventional domestic oven and baked or fired at a temperature of about 350 to 550 degrees.

The skeleton frame of this invention will provide a three dimensional contour for a subject:

(1) The lateral contour by means of the member 46; (2) The height by means of the members 10 and 34; and (3) The length by means of the members 10 and 46.

The leg members 34 produce the required spacing and the relation of the legs from the body and limit the longitudinal extent of the legs and impart the proper space between the fore and hind legs on each side. If desired, a second member 25 could be used'between the trunk 13 and the first member 25. Similarly constructed sets of members could be provided for forming the skeleton of other selected subjects, such as a donkey, lion, fish, bird or human being. The only change that would be necessary would be the shape of the various members depending upon the desired subject to be produced.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A knockdown skeleton frame capable of being assembled for receiving and retaining molding clay for producing a permanent article simulating a preselected subject comprising a vertical longitudinally extending body and head member, a transverse vertical body member, said members having cooperating interlocking means, a pair of leg members, said transverse body member and said leg members having cooperating interlocking means for positioning the leg members in spaced parallel relation to and on opposite sides of said body and head member, a horizontal body member comprising a forward section and a rear section, and cooperating means on said sections and on said leg and body and head members for inter locking said sections and members, said members providing a three dimensional contour of height, width and length, said cooperating interlocking means comprising passageways formed in the members adapted to receive adjacent portions of the members with which they are interfitted whereby said adjacent portions of the interfitted members will engage one another to mutually support one another, said interlocking means constituting guide means for automatically properly positioning said members with respect to one another to locate accurately the various members in their final relative positions to produce the skeleton of the preselected subject, said assembled members defining the outer contour of the preselected subject.

2. A knockdown skeleton frame as claimed in claim 1 wherein said passageways have enlarged portions and'restricted portions whereby should the members accidentally tend to become disassembled the walls of the passageway of one member will engage the walls of restricted portions of the passageway of a cooperating interfitted memher to prevent disassembly of the members.

. (References on following 5 References Cited in the file of this patent 1,532,325 UNITED STATES PATENTS 674,287 Tinker May 14, 1901 706,755 Peano Aug. 12, 1902 5 855,694 Collins June 4, 1907 153,499

Lee Apr. 7, 1925 Himmel Sept. 29, 1931 Albert June 16, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 11, 1920 

